Is it fair to ask a candidate how they voted for another office? Should you ask them if they are Republican or Democrat if they are running in a non-partisan election?

Personally, I say yes. Local elected officials are representatives to state and federal governments and officials; they tell other officials what the people are saying. Unfortunately, the Republican Party has been commandeered by the far Right Tea Party Movement and the first thing they tell their officials is “you don’t need to speak with those who oppose us.”

Wait a second, once candidates become elected officials, they should communicate with everyone to explain their decisions and opinions. Democrats generally do it.

So, people hate President Obama, say ugly thinks about him and his wife then dare local elected officials to do business with the Obama Administration. Some mayors and city councilmen don’t want federal grant money because it’s from Obama or was from the Clinton Administration. They need to get ready for another Clinton Administration.

Folks laugh about questioning Obama’s birthplace and even his religion and local elected officials stand there and smile. That’s wrong. I am Democrat but I am quick to walk away from a liberal nut who thinks President Bush had prior knowledge of the September 11 attacks.

Check this: former Representative Jack Kingston got cool points for taking questions in forums at Savannah State University from liberal students. However, Jack playfully laughed when asked if candidate Obama was from the U.S.A. Later, Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed was the Georgia point person for getting federal funds to deepen the Port of Savannah, a project that meant countless jobs to our region. I think Reed took the lead because Obama staffers didn’t want to hear from Savannah congressman Kingston after the birther mess.

Today, Speaker John Boehner announced his resignation. Yesterday, he was meeting with the Pope and today he is gone. Boehner is a real dude and must have been overwhelmed by the love of the Holy See. Mr. Speaker must have told himself that he wanted no more of the Tea Party’s ugly influence on the Republican Party.

So, Rep. Sanford Bishop has done right by American farmers since day one because agriculture is Georgia’s number one industry. When the Tea Party came for Bishop with lies and made-up silliness, many local elected officials and ag leaders stood by smirking. We are talking about the same people who were constantly asking Bishop for this and that.

Speaker Boehner came to Albany, Georgia, and had a private meeting at Doublegate Country Club. You know Boehner tried to tell those knuckleheads that they could beat Bishop fair and square on fiscal issues but attacking a good man’s character was messed up. The Republican establishment doesn’t control the Tea Party, Fox News or talk radio. Those nasty attacks made us circle the wagons around Bishop and he won that election by the thinness of margins.

So, for stake of full disclosure, I have voted for Obama twice, Rep. Bishop every time after he beat Charles Hatcher, and a couple of Republicans in the GOP primary because there are no Dem primaries anymore.

Also, like many Black Democrats in Atlanta, I often vote for Senator Isakson because he is a good Georgian. Sometimes, we need reasonable members on the other team telling fools to shut up.

When these local candidates come around smiling, asked them if they voted for Obama, Bishop, Scott, Romney, Mccain or whoever. It’s funny how they get votes from Obama supporters but later hang with people who would like to see the worst happen to the president. I never wanted anything horrible to happen to a president and those who do are sick.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-20.

Matthew 7:15-20

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. 18 A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will know them by their fruits.

Look, I am not saying some candidates are evil but they are sometimes around questionable people and say nothing. Senator John McCain was campaigning for president and an old lady got the mic and said Obama was a Arab. She didn’t even get the right part of the world. McCain took the mic back from her and said no madam, no madam…I don’t agree with him on issues but he is a good man.

What about asking candidates how they feel about the Black Lives Matter Movement? I think that could have been called Black Lives Matter Also.

Questions in general about the confederate flag seem unfair but questions about displaying that flag on city grounds are fair in my opinion.

The aftermath of the Charleston church tragedy has some Americans flirting with crazy talk. The killer wanted to spark a race war in this nation and he just might get his oxymoronic civil war. The central theme of my day is often set by the scripture in my daily devotion and today Isaiah 1: 17-19 hit right on time.

Isaiah 1:17-19 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord…..If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.

“Let us reason together” has been on my mind since I started this blog with the influence of a Black Republican and a Black Independent. We were just weary of those who favored fussing and fighting for political gains with little regard for the ultimate objective…a more perfect union.

If we reason together, we would calmly sit down and here from every point of view about the history of this nation as it relates to peaceably moving forward. It’s silly to think that private citizens shouldn’t be able to displace the stars and bars flag or the red, black and green flag on their private vehicles and shirts when the flags represents themselves only and not the community or state as a whole. It’s silly to discuss removing the figures from Stone Mountain in Georgia. Really? With all the jacked up things happening in the state and nation, this is your focus. We shouldn’t remove all vestiges of racism because clearly we still have much racism–black and white racism.

During the civil rights movement, Atlanta was called the city too busy to hate. Leaders in this southern city were about turning the corner faster and reaping the financial benefit of being cool, calm and collected. You can trip all you want but when tripping starts costing you real money…hold your horses.

A friend pointed out a beautiful building in Savannah that was built to lure BMW to Georgia. In the end, the German automaker went to South Carolina because in part that state addressed a confederate flag issues before Georgia. The nation that has Hitler and the holocaust in their recent past was tripping because BMW was concerned about racial problems on their factory floor in the American South. Again, when tripping cost you real money is time to sit down and come to some reasonable conclusions.

Reasonable people can say that someone fought hard for a cause that I don’t support..i.e. a Nazi combat flying ace or the military maneuvers of General Robert E. Lee. But, if we insist on refighting the Civil War or addressing the stealing of this land from the Native Americans, we are going to open a big can of worms like the discussion of reparations…let’s not go there.

On my blog, I wrote the Best Interests Initiative to start a discussion about improving the South in a non-governmental way by having governmental leaders openly and honestly outline their limited roles. It’s in our best interest to work together as brothers or perish as fools.